People who are true rock climbing enthusiasts would probably rate this higher than me, but because I am out of practice and at a begginer level, I find the cost to be too expensive. If you're a regular climber and have the endurance to make several climbs in a night, then it's probably worth it for you. I usually only end up doing a few climbs before my hands get tired, or before I hurt my neck looking down. That being said, they offer shoe and harness rentals for an additional cost, and they do have membership options. There is also a summer camp/break camp offered for kids. I know they've offered weekend yoga in the past but not sure if that's still applicable. And in addition to standard climbing, there are a few auto belay climbs and a high ropes course as well. The best part about coming here is the owner's dog, Daisy, freely roams and hangs out. read more

How long has this place been around? I remember coming as a kid and thinking it was awesome. We came during our Thanksgiving trip home and only bouldered, something that I want capable of as a kid. Sign in was quick, the bouldering space isn't huge but there were still several routes around our skill level which were fun and challenging. We had a great time. read more

This is the 4th or 5th time coming here and the 2nd birthday party we've had here. We opted for the party where they provide the rope holders. Love that the option to file the consent electronically is now available. The staff is great and attentive from beginning to end. They called the kids by their names (name tags on front and back). They encouraged all the kids but also listened to them when they were scared or had enough. At the end of the party, they even helped us load everything into the car. My kids can't wait to go back! read more

RocVentures Climbing Gym - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

This is my favorite place in Rochester! The atmosphere here is welcoming and the quality of all of the routes is outstanding. The new owners have made massive improvements since taking over just over a year ago. If you haven't stopped in over the past year I'd recommend giving this place another shot. The setters are constantly updating the walls and there is never a lack of varied and challenging routes for any level of climber. There's even a friendly golden retriever, Daisy, who is always around for bellyrubs. read more

RocVentures Climbing Gym - Daisy is a friendly pup who lives at the gym - Gyms Near Me - Rochester, New York

Loved the youth night! The instructors create a really fun space for climbers of all skill levels.

This hole in the wall climbing place is the place to go to. Family owned and family run, and loving golden retriever onsite. In for the holidays and need our climb fix. Went in last night to scope things out and was welcomed warmly with open arms by John. Came back tonight and was the same thing, my girlfriend and I were welcomed like he had been climbing there for years. Sign in process was easy and (because we are climbers) were able to test out of the belay class. I required use of their repel platform, and they were very accommodating with the use of it. We ended up buying 10 punch pass and will be back before we head home. read more

This rock gym does not cater to those out of town who wish to keep their climbing skills sharp. There is a required belay course - doesnt matter if you lead 5.13 outside or have 5 other certifications at other gyms, you need to pay about 20$ for a course you do not need, atop of the daily rate, in order to climb here. Considering other gyms provide a free exam for belay and lead... this is unacceptable. The response I received was that this was done for legal purposes - I think it was done to make some money off training. If someone can furnish proof that they have been belay and lead certified at other gyms, why not just give them the exam? Heck, make them take the course if your so an@l, but dont charge for it. Suppose I will not be climbing here, nor recommending this place to any of my fellow climbers coming to the area. read more

First time trying out indoor rock climbing and I'm definitely a fan! I went with a large group (about 12 people) for my birthday and they were very accommodating. We even got a sweet deal on our belay training. It's spacious and there are paths for different levels, even beginners like me. Everyone in our group was happy. It was nearly empty on a Saturday night, but I hear other times are packed. A friend also told me that this is nothing compared to the Red Barn at RIT, which I will have to try out soon. read more

Rockventures is probably the worst *climbing* gym I have ever been to. Surely it is great if you want to organize a birthday party for your 6-year-old or go for a first date (provided neither of you have climbed before). But if you are interested in climbing it is pretty bad. For starters, the routes NEVER change. I have seen some which had stickers dating back to the early 2010s. And they keep on shedding the tape, so it's often your guess where the route actually goes. Moreover, the holds are often turned and the staff does not seem to know what the correct position is (even after being reported they often remain in incorrect position for a while). The holds are age-old, polished from repeated use. The route setting is just weird. Rather than solving a route it often requires just long or awkward moves, with counter-intuitively set holds. The double carabiner "tie-in" is also odd, given that they are often (mostly) not even placed opposite and opposing. Plus, I don't understand why they make the children on the parties wear helmets (unless some elements of the roof are about to fall on their heads(?)), but not necessarily climbing shoes. Also, just forget about bouldering here. There are very few routes, any degree of overhanging automatically merits a V2 plus the mats are (at least were last fall) placed in a way that you can fall between them. I have sprained an ankle when bouldering there last year. Finally, all of this is yours for $16. This is a massive pity, because the space itself is VERY nice. It is rather big, with tall, varied walls (one of few instances where I have seen a potential for cool slab climbing). But needs A LOT of work if it were to be called a *climbing* gym. UPDATE: I recently visited RV again and they have definitely improved their offering. There are some new holds, a considerable number of new routes and some of them are fun and have a nice 'flow'. Still a way to go, but I stand corrected on some of the comments above. Their bouldering cave also got better. read more

I went to rock ventures and thought it would be a great time.... Boy was i wrong..... we had a birthday party there and staff was very unpleasant not a great atmosphere.... Spoke with owner about experience and she seemed to be pleased with her staff... 10/10 Would not recommended! read more

I had a really wonderful experience at Rock Ventures. I have never been climbing before, and their staff was super knowledgeable, patient, and explained everything in detail. After our belaying class was done I felt confident to climb! My boyfriend and I climbed for a bit, and then since we were there for the V-Day special, we got to experience the leap of faith and vertical playpen too. The LOF was by far the scariest thing I've done in a while. Jumping off of a ceiling type beam and hitting a bell mid air will get your adrenaline pumping! The vertical playpen was really neat but definitely hard! All of the other climbers were very nice as well, and cheering people on to push themselves. The staff was never more than a few feet away, and had some good tips on how to climb or let you know when you were doing something wrong. You could definitely tell that safety was their main concern. (Fun wasn't too far behind though!) I will hopefully be going back soon, even though its about an hour ride, it was definitely worth it! read more

Not impressed with the facility. Nor the policies. This is the first rock gym I've gone to where they want to pay to belay. On top of that, its basically the price of admission to get a card (that expires too), so be prepared to pay for yourself twice first time you go. Also, I question what use that card is, because while climbing near the training class, the staff missed on a lot important concepts that should have been covered, regardless of the fact there are GriGri's in place. Since I was annoyed at the belay cost, my friend and I stuck to bouldering only, which was reduced admission, so that was a small plus. However their two "caves" are very small, and the routes seemed to be missing rocks, or taping was incomplete. Talking to the staff we found out that the owner removed all ceiling grabs in an overly neurotic sense of safety, since the fall would be 2 feet onto 3feet of mats. So we switched to climbing horizontally along the main walls, which wasn't an issue since it wasn't crowded. I'll end this on a positive note saying, there were a lot of walls, which would be good for variety and no waiting around. read more

We visited here just for fun and it was totally awesome! It was my first time rock climbing and I would totally recommend it to beginner rock climbers like me, but there was also a large variety of leveled climbing and it's totally fun for everyone! The staff was really friendly and helpful and took their time to help us and make sure we were safe and knew what we were doing before we started to climb. We didn't do the ropes course, but it looked to be pretty cool! The rock climbing courses are also pretty easy to follow. There was also a beautiful golden retriever wandering around ! read more

Great staff and very big place. My wife and I were first timers and we felt right at home. The class was very helpful and the staff were super awesome. For your first time you pay a fee to get certified but that's only on your first visit. You won't have to pay on the following visits. You will be supplied with a certificate to show that you went through it. The space was large enough to host larger crowds and give more space for individuals to keep going further and further. It's nice to have an indoor place in Rochester for physical activity beyond the typical gym. read more

Went last night as a university club group! Not only was the new management staff extremely kind and helpful, they also did a very quick and informative belay lesson for 10 people and had everyone safely and successfully belaying within 15 minutes. There are plenty of top rope routes set around the gym, two smaller bouldering areas and a very attractive lead section! I would definitely recommend checking it out! All climbing styles had a wide range of difficulties for everyone to give a try! read more

I hosted my husband's surprise 30th birthday party here. The staff were very welcoming and attentive to our group. The demonstrated step by step techniques because most of us were beginners. We spent most of the time on the high ropes course and we wished we had more time for rock climbing. Overall: The equipment and instruction made me feel safe and everyone enjoyed themselves. The staff were easy to work with and they let me set up early for the party and took care of ordering the pizza and party supplies. The only negative note was one of the workers kept saying good job as if we were little kids which got a bit annoying. read more

We just had our daughter's 9th birthday party at RocVentures and it was so great! The staff was friendly, encouraging and energetic. The booking process was very easy and they reached out that week to confirm everything. The kids absolutely loved the climbing, but they also got a chance to do the high ropes course. We had 12 kiddos and they all had plenty of time to try everything they wanted to during the party - and all want to come back again! read more

If you are looking for a place to have your kid's birthday party then you'll probably have a lot of fun, but if you are a rock climber expect a gym that needs a serious overhaul. The services have gone down hill the past few years. In January 2015 all prices were significantly increased to "stay competitive". The problem is the offerings are not competitive at all. For the same price or cheaper you could go to a facility that has lead climbing, a significant bouldering area, climbing classes (more than belay training and basic skills), fitness classes & equipment (included), showers, regular community events, and more. Many climbers have asked why they are making these changes and the management has continued beat around the bush to avoid providing any real answers. In some cases they have even tried to justify why they are unwilling to change to meet current standards. Most rock climbing gyms are known for their owners that love and support the climbing community. Unfortunately, that is not what you will see at Rock Ventures. The employees are great and many really do love climbing. However, when it comes to the people who call the shots it is readily, ironically, and disappointingly apparent that that they don't live and breathe rock climbing. (A little about myself to provide some some context - I'm currently a 5.10/5.11 climber (depending on where I climb) and have been climbing for about 4 years now. I've climbed in the Gunks, Yosemite, and Red River Gorge as well as Little Falls and Rattlesnake Point. I've climbed at Stone Summit in Atlanta and Planet Granite in San Francisco as well as Rock Oasis in Toronto, The Edge in Syracuse, and the Red Barn at RIT.) read more

NOT for bouldering. The 2 caves are small, hard to interpret, and most importantly--have decrepit mats that don't make me feel that jumping off the wall is an option. *might* be good for top rope--it's 90% of the gym. But the mat situation is concerning. read more

Rock Ventures is a huge rock climbing gym with plenty of routes, and you never have to wait for a climb. The staff is knowledgeable, laid back, and very friendly (with the exception of one older man, possibly the owner, who is unnecessarily condescending and loves to tell everyone that they are going to die if they don't hang off of every word he has to say), and there is occasionally a very friendly golden lab wandering around. Side-note: all of the ropes have GriGri devices and the climbing knots tied into carabiners, so you don't need to bring your own belay device or even to brush up on your knot skills. read more

100% agree with Brian below. If you are looking for a place for a kids birthday party or want to spend $50 on an afternoon to try a new activity, Rock Ventures will be just fine. If you care about rock climbing and/or are from out of town and want to climb, this is not the place for you. Even though Jon from Rock Ventures commented on Brian's review that experienced climbers can take a belay test, that was not my experience. I was not allowed to just take the test. Everyone no matter their experience must take and pay for a belay class, pay admission and pay for gear. Their shoes are old and really worn, so if you have your own you should definitely try to bring them. For a place that makes everyone take a belay class, you would think they would be hyper vigilant with safety. That was not my experience. My partner and I breezed through the belay class, but the other 2 people in the class were brand new and needed more careful instruction that they were not given. The instructions were rushed and they were left on their own shortly after. My partner and I had to help walk them through lowering when they got stuck because the instructor was no where to be found. The facility itself is in need of repair. Cobwebs are all over the place and old high school wrestling mats line the floor. The routes are confusing and have messy handwriting all over them, some said they were set in 2010! I hope with their increase in prices they can make some upgrades. As a rock climber, I was not impressed at all and will not be returning. read more

This climbing gym is nowhere up to par with professional/ modern climbing gyms. The setting is junk they don't give belay tests if you come after 7'oclock even though there were only 4 customers in the entire place. The walls are old and you cannot smear on them, the holds are old and slippery, and it was just not a good experience climbing. I would advise people to go to red barn climbing at RIT if you are a serious climber looking to improve your skills. read more

It was my first time ever belaying/ rock climbing. It started out with a belaying class which was very informative, the class lasted about 30 min. After that we were able to roam around the facility and climb any of the courses. For a first timer, I thought it was so much fun! I would definitely recommend this for any first timer and beyond. read more

Best place for indoor rock climbing. Guys who work there are always friendly and helpful. Always a good time.

The new owners have done a great job renovating the place. They now have lead climbing for more experienced climbers as well. This place is a fun place to climb with routes for all ages and skill level. They also have a happy go lucky golden retriever that roams the place. In the future fairport brewing company will be opening next door with a bar and possibly food. Rock climbing and then grabbing drinks/food will be a nice combo. read more

The gym is under new ownership as of Spring 2018, and they've done a lot to update and improve the gym. New holds and volumes, adjusting routes and how they're marked, new flooring, new ropes, expanded bouldering, set lead routes, and added limited fitness equipment (exercise balls, free weights, etc). New routes are all marked with consistent hold colors instead of tape, and the grading system was expanded to denote sub-grades. All of these changes haven't affected the main thing I love about RV - the casual, familiar atmosphere. The staff are wonderfully friendly, and I can always just show up and find someone to climb with. Memberships remain affordable. read more

Under new ownership recently, the awesome couple who run this place have renovated most of the gym recently - the old flooring is completely replaced, they have added a new lead-rope area, and expanded the bouldering section to include some easier vertical routes, too! All the staff are super friendly and welcoming, and there are plenty of awesome routes to climb, whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned climber looking for a new challenge! New holds on the routes, competitive climbing leagues, and a variety of setting styles allow for lots of fun and great climbs! I strongly recommend a visit if you haven't ever checked this place out, or if it's been a while! read more

If you have never been climbing before OR are just looking looking for a rainy day activity, you will enjoy yourself at Rock Ventures. If you climb as a regular activity OR are interested in getting into climbing, you will be severely disappointed. After climbing at various gyms in the U.S. and abroad, I can honestly say Rock Ventures is one of the worst gyms in the world despite having great potential. The main problem with Rock Ventures is that it caters to birthday party/team building customers while actively discouraging real climbing activity by: Poorly maintaining the gym Using outdated/antiqued climbing holds Setting very low quality routes Employing staff/route setters with little to no climbing experience Not allowing lead climbing despite having walls constructed for this purpose Not accepting any suggestions on improvements to the items above There has been much friction between the climbing community and the owner of Rock Ventures (Kent) over the years. Kent is very arrogant when responding to criticisms of Rock Ventures. Kent does not want to create an atmosphere that encourages development of climbing ability and community. By discouraging serious interests in climbing, Kent is turning away business from a massive facility that is severely underutilized. From a business perspective, it makes no sense to turn away customers when you could easily accommodate them and generate substantial revenue. I feel strongly about Rock Ventures because I have first hand experience with climbing gyms that cater to all customers while creating a thriving (and profitable) community of people. It's disappointing to know that Rock Ventures will never be the gym it could be. read more

Been here twice. So much fun. I am a beginner climber, people are super friendly and helpful.

Ridiculously high priced! Belay class, which is simple to teach I know because I use to teach and climb my self, should be for free when you buy a day pass. If people come and say they can do it then give them a quick test to see if they can. No point in making them go thru training if they already have the skill. For legality or insurance purposes sounds like a bunch of crap to me! As you can see by their rates they just want to nickel and dime you. They obviously don't care about return customers. Was going to bring my kids there to introduce them to rock climbing but for a family of three to pay all these "rates" is outrageous! Definitely not worth it, especially if my kids decide it's not for them. read more

This is something you must try at least once. I have a terrible fear of heights and arm strength equivalent to a three year old so it's a challenge for me. Although, I recently heard that you should rely on your leg strength more to push you upwards versus using your arms to pull you up. Note to self for next time. It's a great workout and surprisingly fun date if you're into active outings. The belay training is quick and painless took about ~15 minutes. There's staff around to help you out when you need it. There's a variety of climbing walls for any difficulty level from the beginner to expert level climbers. I've been visiting for years and it's one of those places that if you grow up in Rochester, you probably visited for a birthday party or mixing it up with friends for a weekend outing. Belay training (knowing how to work the ropes and serve as an anchor for your climber) is required before climbing, but they have training sessions every hour during the weekdays (4-7pm) and every 30min on the weekends. It's a two-person activity so bring a friend and I recommend calling ahead or making a reservation just in case. read more

Absolutely love this place. So I started here with the old management and it has changed so much (for the better) since new management took over (relatively recently like 6 months ago). The old Rocventures does not hold a candle to the new one. They've totally revamped the place. They've got lead climbing, way more beginner friendly routes, ropes, and even a route to practice ice climbing. The staff are incredible and real friendly. The new place definitely has a much more communal feel and it's very inclusive of everyone at any level. Both Jon's that work there are freakin amazing and the family that owns the place is fantastic as well. It feels a lot like a family gym with soul rather than your run of the mill rock climbing gym. I've been to Red Barn and it's a cool place but RocVentures has way more diversity in climbing if you're looking for a change of pace. It's also a lot cheaper than a lot of the gyms I climbed at in California so that's nice too. Highly recommend! read more

My grandson and I climbed at RockVentures together. We stopped by to try out the gym. Great beginner through expert routes. The people were friendly, the routes terrific read more

This place is terrible I have never been to a worse climbing gym, they charged me for a belaying class even after I told them that I had a certification they just said that it's a mandatory one time fee of $11. After I got my card the staff harassed my friend and I about our chalk bags and even though I had a chalk ball they made us empty our bags out in front of them, then a different employee came up to us and said that there was chalk on the floor and made us prove to them that we weren't using loose chalk. The routes were terrible the only well placed ones were the easy routes and the harder ones were confusing and poorly placed. It looked like holds were missing or the tape had been torn off. The facility was poorly set up for experienced climbers and when I talked to the staff about the routes they didn't seem like they knew what was going on and couldn't answer my questions well. I will not be returning to this establishment. read more